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FireWire enclosure with onlyl 400 Mb/s - outdated?
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2006
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I just replaced my internal hard drive in my iMac with a 1 Tb drive.
The old hard drive was good, so I bought an enclosure. MacMall sold me a Macally unit - only for me to find out that this thing had only FireWire400.
MacMall | MacAlly Peripherals Hi-Speed eSATA/FireWire/USB2.0 Storage enclosure for 3.5" SATA Hard Disk Drive G-S350SUA
(In store they charge you $58, including tax)
Isn't this silly they sell such units with such slow FireWire connection? I mean, it cost 58$! And they sell these a lot. Shall I return this thing and get a FireWire800 enclosure? (There's a 250 Gb drive in it).
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Professional Poster
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The burst/sustained read speed of the SATA drive is faster than FW400.
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Posting Junkie
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$58? You could get a FW800 enclosure for not much more than that.
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Mac Elite
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Originally Posted by CharlesS 
$58? You could get a FW800 enclosure for not much more than that.
I know. I didn't think FireWire400-only enclosures were still on sale.
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Mac Elite
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Is a FireWire400 connection fast enough for HD video editing?
(other than MacMall overcharged for the enclosure, it is a pretty nice looking enclosure, and it seems to be well made).
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Clinically Insane
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FW400 enclosures are still the norm for FW. In fact, the most common enclosure interface is USB2, and that is even slower.
That said, in 2011 Apple should just add eSATA to its desktops. I bought a $260 small-form-factor PC recently, and even that has eSATA, which is faster than even FW800 and a heluvalot cheaper.
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Clinically Insane
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I haven't seen a FireWire enclosure without 800 in a while.
I doubt Apple will add eSATA anywhere. It's too limited-purpose, and just adding it to desktops and not to laptops would draw a lot of flak.
They'll wait for LightPeak.
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Moderator  Join Date: Jan 2001
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Originally Posted by amazing
That's the path I took. Working great (one year in), so far.
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Mac Elite
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Originally Posted by Eug
FW400 enclosures are still the norm for FW. In fact, the most common enclosure interface is USB2, and that is even slower.
That said, in 2011 Apple should just add eSATA to its desktops. I bought a $260 small-form-factor PC recently, and even that has eSATA, which is faster than even FW800 and a heluvalot cheaper.
I hope for eSATA as well.
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Mac Elite
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Originally Posted by amazing
Nice solution for using one dock for several hard drives.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
I haven't seen a FireWire enclosure without 800 in a while.
I doubt Apple will add eSATA anywhere. It's too limited-purpose, and just adding it to desktops and not to laptops would draw a lot of flak.
They'll wait for LightPeak.
Limited purpose? I would suspect that eSATA gets FAR more use than FW.
Sure you can't buy an eSATA audio interface or whatever, but for every FW audio interface that gets sold, there are a bazillion eSATA drives that are sold. In terms of simple practicality, USB2 and eSATA wins, except in niche markets, and I say that as someone who has several FW800 devices... including a #!$@^#@$ $80 FW800 three-port hub.
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Clinically Insane
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Most PCs don't even have FireWire, and if they do have it, it's usually only FireWire 400. Of course, most PCs still have PS2, serial, and/or parallel ports. I haven't quite figured that one out yet.
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"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Eug
Limited purpose? I would suspect that eSATA gets FAR more use than FW.
Sure you can't buy an eSATA audio interface or whatever, but for every FW audio interface that gets sold, there are a bazillion eSATA drives that are sold. In terms of simple practicality, USB2 and eSATA wins, except in niche markets, and I say that as someone who has several FW800 devices... including a #!$@^#@$ $80 FW800 three-port hub.
Pro audio and pro video may be niche markets from your perspective, but they're friggin' huge.
And yes, a single purpose is fairly limited, as opposed to something like USB, FireWire, or, in fact - and this is the big one that means eSATA won't happen - LightPeak.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
Pro audio and pro video may be niche markets from your perspective, but they're friggin' huge.
And yes, a single purpose is fairly limited, as opposed to something like USB, FireWire, or, in fact - and this is the big one that means eSATA won't happen - LightPeak.
Well, the point is huge or not, it pales in comparison to eSATA usage for drives in both the pro and consumer use. FW800 is really just pro use, and maybe a few amateurs like me. Like I said, external eSATA for home PCs trumps FW800 (and FW400) by a huge margin. If aimed for common usage, FW800 isn't even in the running.
The reason eSATA won't happen is Steve Jobs. Nothing more.
He tried to foster FW royalties in the era of USB2... and failed miserably. Now he's trying to foster FW800 in the era of USB2, USB3, and eSATA, and is failiing even more miserably. I find it rather sadly telling that it's now just as easy to find USB3 drives out there as it is FW800 drives.
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Clinically Insane
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Point taken about FireWire royalties. Apple ****ed that up.
But honestly: how many people need/use eSATA over USB?
And audio/video guys NEED FireWire. I'd love to see FW1600. But I think I'd prefer lightpeak.
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Posting Junkie
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I've seen plenty of PC laptops (and even netbooks) with combination USB/eSATA ports on them lately. Likewise, a lot of the USB enclosures being sold nowadays also include eSATA ports. If you've already got eSATA on both your computer and your external hard drive, why would you not use it?
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Mac Elite
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Originally Posted by Eug
The reason eSATA won't happen is Steve Jobs. Nothing more.
He tried to foster FW royalties in the era of USB2... and failed miserably. Now he's trying to foster FW800 in the era of USB2, USB3, and eSATA, and is failiing even more miserably. I find it rather sadly telling that it's now just as easy to find USB3 drives out there as it is FW800 drives.
Suprisingly, there aren't many FW800 enclosures out there, and if there are, they are ridiculously expensive.
It doesn't make sense to spend $90 on a FW800 enclosure when you get a G-Tech 1 Tb external drive with a quad interface for $165.
I agree with you that eSATA would be nice to have. Or is there a reason I couldn't use an eSATA connection when using an external hard drive for video editing in FCP? It's fast and that should count.
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Clinically Insane
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The Point isn't that eSATA can't be used for FCP. It can't be used for cameras and audio interfacing.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
The Point isn't that eSATA can't be used for FCP. It can't be used for cameras and audio interfacing.
Apple had FW800 and FW400 ports on their iMacs.
I was hoping for a new iMac Apple to drop FW400 and keep FW800, but to add eSATA as well.
I was pissed to learn that as predicted, Apple dropped FW400 and kept FW800, but added nothing.
Originally Posted by Veltliner
Suprisingly, there aren't many FW800 enclosures out there, and if there are, they are ridiculously expensive.
Yeah, that was my point. Despite the fact FW800 has been out there so long, it has very very little adoption. USB 3 isn't very common either, but it's nearly as common as FW800, despite being brand-spankin' new technology.
Because FW800 is so uncommon, everything FW800 is bloody expensive, like my simple and fugly 3-port hub that cost me $80 plus shipping.
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Professional Poster
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Originally Posted by Veltliner
Which means I'm going to return the FW400 enclosure to MacMall. Their own fault if they sell me such outdated stuff.
It's not their fault you bought it but luckily most places accept returns 
I have a quad interface enclosure and FW800 is quite a bit faster than FW400 (e.g. 55MBps vs 42MBps) but eSATA runs sustained at 70-80MBps.
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"Like a midget at a urinal, I was going to have to stay on my toes." Frank Drebin, Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult
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Mac Elite
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Originally Posted by CharlesS
Do you think it possible Europe gets Oxford, and the US a different chipset?
Actually, the drive from Cooldrives is the same price as the Macally and looks good.
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Posting Junkie
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The serial number's the same, so I assume it's the same unit. The US site just doesn't mention the chipset for some reason.
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Professional Poster
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Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
FW 800 does up to 80 MBps, sustained, but yes, eSATA is a good 20% faster.
I know, I posted my real-world numbers.
Originally Posted by Veltliner
Actually, the drive from Cooldrives is the same price as the Macally and looks good.
My CoolDrive has been working perfectly for the last 2-3 years and it's got an Oxford chipset although I forgot the number). Highly recommend the CoolDrives.
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Senior User
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Originally Posted by Veltliner
Their fault? Don't you read product descriptions before you buy?
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Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
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Mac Elite
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Originally Posted by CharlesS
The serial number's the same, so I assume it's the same unit. The US site just doesn't mention the chipset for some reason.
I'll take another look at the Cool Drive, but I think I'll go for that Oxford Chip Macally. They seem to be built very solidly, and I love the design.
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Addicted to MacNN
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Semi-OT, but do modern FW enclosures suffer from the same issues as older FW enclosures, where certain chipsets can cause data corruption and such?
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Sell or send me your vintage Mac things if you don't want them.
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Mac Elite
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You need to buy a good one, and the better version of the Macally (with FireWire 800) that got just delivered, has an Oxford chipset.
All my externals (except one Iomega portable drive) have now Oxford chipsets in them.
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Posting Junkie
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So you've inspected the enclosure, and it does indeed have an Oxford chipset in it?
Good to know. Macally may now be a good option for drive enclosures.
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Mac Elite
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Originally Posted by CharlesS
So you've inspected the enclosure, and it does indeed have an Oxford chipset in it?
Good to know. Macally may now be a good option for drive enclosures.
Yes.
Had to peel the OK sticker off.
It says "Oxford Semiconductor OXUF 9319SB-LQAG SL9185.1
Nice build, good quality screws, easy fit.
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Posting Junkie
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Nice. Those enclosures aren't too expensive, either.
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